football this year, but after that, vanity, golf match
the other night with him and Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen and
Patrick Mahomes. They did like a little round table discussion
that nobody saw live, apparently,
because things about it, were trickling out yesterday. And
the thing that trickled out about Tom Brady and this came
from Rick's trout of the Tampa Bay Times. He said to Ernie
Johnson
at this stage. It's like 55% Yes. And 45% know as to
playing. That's just the reality. It's not that I'm not
100% committed is just as soon as I make the commitment to do
it. It's like, oh God. Alright, here we go.
It's like running a marathon. You can't decide two weeks
before the marathon ham. Going to start running.
We got right to free agency, and I felt some pressure to do
it and talked to the team and organization. It all worked
out. I felt some pressure to do it.
He knew he knew he had to make a decision. They were going to
find somebody else
to play quarterback. And you know what? I think it came down
to, because I thought it one point maybe. His endgame was
wait for the Buccaneers to find somebody else and it's easier
for him to get to another team. The problem is
where was the other viable spot where he was confident. He
could pursue a championship, the Dolphins thing, which
plenty of people out there still want to plug their ears
and Shout Serenity. Now, over
the Dolphins thing was real,
that fell apart with the Brian Flores lawsuit.
And then. Where else was he going to go? Where else was
there a spot where he could? Walk through the door and have
a competitive team that could contend for a championship and
the Bucks were going to move on without
him. He had to make a decision. He made the decision
to come back and
and as he said, if we can believe him because he's also
said 90% of the time. He doesn't say what he really
thinks. So 90% 100% 5545, but he says he's 55. Yes 45. No,
it just makes you wonder, is this really the last year for
Tom Brady? Because if it's that close, it's not going to take
much to tip it the The way Peter.
Yeah, Mike, I think if you look back on the timing of this,
okay,
just remember the big moment for Tom Brady.
I believe is when he basically called Ryan Jensen,
and whatever the conversation was, but the upshot of
the conversation was
right before. Ryan Jensen,
was making the decision.
Should I stay? Or should I go?
You know, and I believe, I believe that Ryan Jensen
probably would have gone to Cincinnati.
If that weekend. Tom, Brady didn't call him and say, Hey,
listen, I'm coming back. Are you in
or words to that effect? And I think at that moment, Brady
knew
he had already lost,
you know, two guards.
And he was about to lose or perhaps very good chance,
lose his Center.
And if he then lost all three interior offensive lineman and
had to make that up from scratch, along with maybe
not having either
OJ. Howard was going to be gone
grunk. Who knows?
Chris Godwin. Probably not there at the start of the Season
who the heck. Going to war with. So
he had a finite deadlines
that if he really wanted to do this.
He had to do it when he did it.
Yeah, and
and you got to be all in and he's right. You
you can't start training for the marathon two weeks before
the marathon begins, and it really makes you wonder about
next year. He's got that thirty seven and a half million dollar
bird in the hand with Fox whenever he wants to start
working there. The,
the question I think is going to come down to, is there
a spot where he thinks he can go and have a reasonable shot at
number eight? Or as the case may be number nine, depending
upon what happens issue with the book. Areas, and
I think that is what's going to drive. I'm not being critical
of him either.
He's going to go somewhere where he thinks the deck is
stacked in his favor. And if it's not stacked in his favor,
why bother at 45 going on, 46? So,
you know, we have to approach each year for Tom, Brady going
forward is the last year of his career
even though he doesn't want a farewell tour, and this could
be the last year next year, could be the last year. Who
knows? How much longer he'll go but I think as long as he
thinks he has reasonable shot at adding to his haul of Super
Bowl championships.
He will at least consider
the possibility because the one thing he wants to avoid and he
said this and now that he's going to actually be calling
games. It's going to torment him even more. It's not like he
can disappear and wall himself off from football
for a year or two.
He never wants to watch a game. And think those guys suck.
I can do better than they are. So that with him going to Fox is
an added element in his mindset
as to how much do I want to put myself through
this potential torment?
That I'm watching these guys play. When I know I could put
the helmet on and go out there right now and be better than
those stiffs.
Mike, you know, I'm going to take this about 108 degrees to
the side right now and just say one thing about Brady,
the broadcaster
that is this. So when he, you know, when he signed with Fox
and Andrew Marsh and reported this huge contract with Fox,
it just got me to thinking,
okay. Like we never really thought of Brady
as a guy who was going to do before.
Casting at least I never did. Okay.
So now that he is going to do broadcasting.
You know, what path, should he take their?
So I called a bunch of people in the industry
and one really smart guy said,
you know, Tom Brady owes it to his future.
To take three hours every week this year.
And watch all as many broadcast Cruz as he can,
and he should listen
to Charles Davis with Ian Eagle. He should listen to
Aikman with Joe Buck. He should listen
to Collinsworth and Mike Tirico, you know, he should
listen to Kirk Herbstreit with Al.
And and when he does that, he should watch. And he should
say,
I like that. I don't like that.
I think I'm going to do that.
I'm not. Going to do that and
he should really go to school.
The one thing. I've heard people say geez, he's born he's
never going to be good on TV.
I think Tom Brady's going to be good on TV. Will he be great.
I don't know. A lot of TV is you know, Mike
is just instantaneous
cleverness and reaction
plus having the guts to be what Cris Collinsworth was on
the goal line
in the Seattle new. And Super Bowl when he said and I quote,
seven seconds after the Malcolm Butler interception.
I'm sorry. I do not like that call.
There are going to be times
when you are going to have to, you're all friendly with Pete
Carroll.
You're friendly with Darrell Bevell and Russell Wilson and,
and all the people in the sea on the Seattle team and your
friendly, and you like them and they like you, you get along.
But you know what, sometimes you're going to have to
fricassee. People
with 90 million people watching in the United States.
That's all there is to it
then and only then will we know if Brady can be great.
Can he fricassee people
because you have to
in that business, but
but I just think as far as preparation goes it's a long ramble
talk show ish answer
but Tom Brady needs in my opinion to really, he shouldn't
just retire. And then say, okay.
I'm going to start studying these guys.
He's got to start thinking about it now.
And and if I were him
just spent three hours a week,
watch it. Different telecast and that's my 108 degree
Veer off to the right
and I agree with you completely and he's got to be willing to
show personality and he's got to be willing to say things
that are critical in a way that doesn't create some big mess
for him. And look either have it or you don't. Comedy is hard
and
I didn't watch the match the other night. I had no interest
in watching football players golf. I can either stand
watching golfers golf for crying out loud, while I agree
with you layers, I those Those 27,
I could have said,
but but apparently and I saw this from Jimmy Traina of s
i.com. Apparently, Brady spent the whole time making fat jokes
about Josh Allen
who is in fat first of all and second of all,
there's nothing worse than a guy who is like in-your-face
about his diet. Making fun of people. He thinks his fat, so
hopefully, he's got more clubs in his bag
than that. At when it's time to start doing games, you know,
so I just thought it was odd. And again, I didn't hear any of
it. But
I just I saw the Snippets that Jimmy trainer was talking
about, or I read about it. It's like it's just kind of weird
because no one it's not like Josh. Allen is Billy Joe
Tolliver for crying out loud. I mean,
it's just it was just it was just strange to me
that that would be the thing that
that Tom Brady tried to use to get under Josh Allen skin.